A tragic helicopter crash occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, January 29, involving a military UH-60 Black Hawk and a passenger jet. The collision claimed the lives of three soldiers, but the U.S. Army has opted not to release the name of the female pilot involved, following a request from her family.
Although the identities of two other soldiers onboard, Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, were made public, the Army said that the pilot’s name would not be released because of the wishes of her family.
Army Update on the Tragedy
The Army confirmed that Staff Sgt. O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia is believed killed in action pending identification. The remains of Chief Warrant Officer Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland are still missing and classified as Duty Status-Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN).
According to a statement from the Army, “The name of the third Soldier will not be released at this time at the request of the family. That pilot is also DUSTWUN.”
The identity of the pilot of black hawk could not be verified, but sources confirmed that the pilot had clocked more than 500 flying hours. Army Aviation Directorate Chief of Staff Jonathan Koziol said that the two pilots who were involved were familiar with this particular route.
They had also flown at night before. Koziol rebuffed claims suggesting that DEI policies were in any way a factor in the crash, refuting even a suggestion made by former President Donald Trump.
Army’s Condolences and Ongoing Investigation
In response to the tragedy, Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, commander of Joint Task Force – National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington stated the deepest condolence to the family and friends, “who are touched during this tragedy; we stand in solidarity with them through this period.”
Bredenkamp highlighted the commitment by the Army towards providing aid during the recovery phase while working with full cooperation of NTSB, FAA, and other investigation bodies for a comprehensive conclusion to this incident.
The investigation is being conducted as the authorities try to understand the factors that led to such a sad tale.
